Wigan Album

I’ll have two bob on it Ron, Pemberton Main Street, carnival group just in front of the undertaker’s yard.

John yep, I thought the building was a pub and it does look like the WHITE LION?

Glad to be of service Ron, but do us a favour, don’t let Mick know, he’ll be using my name for a year.

Item #: 33541 Shows another photo taken on the same day at the same location.
Correctly identified as Ormskirk Road Pemberton, at its junction with Worsley Street, outside the White Lion.

Awww, look at the ladies at the front with their shawls. My Grandma, (known as "Mother" to my brothers....sadly I don't remember her as she died when I was only 10 months old), wore one and she and my Mam used to carry me in it as a baby, wrapped round themselves with me tucked in cosily in the folds. I still have it.

What a superb photo . I can hear it . The fabulous burlesque of the blacked up Top hatted band , especially the concertina player is pure carnival . Andy Pandy doesn't seem perturbed in the least by having a horn resembling a dustbin lid sounded in his ear .
What's the front man playing . Hurdy gurdy , Fiddle ?
Best of all , the trance like dance by the moustachioed keystone cop type figure . Most mysterious .

LOOKS LIKE IT SHOULD READ PEMBERTON CARNIVAL. WITH TODAY'S WOKE POLICE. HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN THE PARADE WOULD BE ARRESTED..

There wouldn’t be any blacking up these days. When you think in the past how popular were the Black and White Minstrels. Woke madness! I’m surprised that Circus Clowns can still be made up and dressed as they are, but there’s still time to get around to them though…..

I think my days as the GORILLA in the Wigan Little Theatre Pantomime, could be soon curtailed.????

I never you you were a gorilla at WLT, Ron....I'd have sent you a bouquet if I'd known!! Our Jamie was recently a French man in Around the World in Eighty Days so French men must still be allowed!

Last year the Morris Organisation issued a statement saying that teams wearing black face would be banned from any event run by them . You would think they would be the stoutest defenders of this tradition yet despite of it being part of this country's cultural heritage they simply caved in to woke pressure . No other nation butchers its own traditions like we do here .
At the same time the Exeter Chiefs RUFC were criticised for 'appropriating' the native culture of the North American Indian , and were told to drop the name .
Yet there may be hope . Many Morris sides turned up painted green and the rugby club stuck two fingers up and declared that the Chief was in fact of the Durotriges tribe of ancient Britain . Yes .

What a neat picture! The people look like they could step out of the photo and visit with you! Thanks for sharing

Irene I was the resident gorilla for a few years I'm know as 'RON THE GORILLA' by the people at the WLT
Jamie had a superb French accent. Can he speak fluent French?

No, Ron, although he would know some basic French from school, as we all did. He's just good at accents. In the bar one night after the show, someone congratulated him on his French accent, and then told the man with the Irish accent, "Your Irish accent was very good too", (he's Irish!).

The band pictured is a 'Doo-Dah Band'.
With the exception of the concertina players, all the band are playing kazoos made in the shape of bugles, horns, and other brass instruments.
Such bands were extremely popular between the wars. Almost every community had one.